Through the Darkness
by cellochick373
Summary: Lots of Brooke, her dealing with personal issues and life. Blatantly BRATHAN! Lots of Peyton/Brooke friendship and occasional Lucas and Haley involvement. My own little idea, please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Ok, first OTH fic! Yay! I'm pretty new to the characters, but Brathan is officially my OTP right now! Please read and let me know what you think! I will add more later, but I wanted to get this out there. It's sorta long, but not that bad. Reviews are Love!**

* * *

Brooke sat in her 5th period class and sighed. She looked around the room, trying to escape from the boredom that was her math class. Not finding anything to help hold her interest, she resorted to staring out the window. Completely lost in her thoughts, she was jolted to attention when she heard snickers from her classmates. "Ms. Davis? The answer?"

The teacher looked at Brooke expectantly, as though waiting for her to fail. Suddenly a whisper from behind her said, "x 1 3/4". Without thinking about it Brooke spit the answer back out at the teacher. Raising an eyebrow, the teacher sighed before saying, "Next time, Ms. Davis, please try to stay awake, and next time, Mr. Scott, please keep your thoughts to yourself."

As the bell rang, Brooke turned a bit shyly to face her would-be savior. "Hey, thanks for that," she said, surprised that Nathan Scott had actually _helped _her. "Yeah, well, don't get too used to it," he replied, smirking a bit. "It was kind of a momentary lapse in judgement." Rolling her eyes, Brooke retorted, "Of course, I should have known that th infamous Nathan Scott would never do anything that might be perceived as civil while he was in his right mind."

"Whatever, I just felt sorry for you," Nathan said, trying to think of some witty comeback. She laughed, saying, "See you around," as she began to walk to her next class. Nathan's eyes never once left her retreating form.

* * *

Nathan hopped out of the passenger side as his dad parked the car. "Hey, Nate, I'm going to have a business meeting for the next two weeks, so you're going to have the house to yourself. Don't do anything stupid, and make damn sure you practice every day."

Rolling his eyes at his dad's remark, Nathan tried his best to hide his hurt. "Sure, dad," he sighed, walking in the front door. Dropping his stuff on the floor of his room, he changed into some sweats and called, "I'm going for a run," as he jogged out into the cold. He didn't really intend to run that far, but he got to thinking about his day and Brooke.

Sharp voices jerked him out of his reverie and looked around, a bit dazed as to where he was. Surprised, he realized he had run the five miles to the lake, and he shook his head, not looking forward to the return trip. Looking back up to try and figure out where the voices were coming from, he saw a man and woman standing on the driveway of a small ramshackle house.

Slowing to a walk, Nathan watched, not wanting to intrude, but unable to look away. The fight escalated, and the woman turned away and walked off towards the woods.

As she turned, though, Nathan caught a glimpse of her face, and he recognized her– _Brooke._

* * *

Walking the rest of the way to the lake, Nathan was surprised to find someone already sitting on the bench when he arrived. He went to sit down, but as he faced the person he realized it was Brooke. Not sure what to do, Nathan made a move to leave and keep walking but a voice stopped him. "It's ok, you can sit. I'll leave."

Her normally perky voice was shaky, and as she started to get up he noticed the tear stains running down her cheeks. Brooke almost fell over as she tried to walk, and Nathan instinctively reached out to catch her. He gently set her back down on the bench before saying, "No, it's ok. How about you stay, and I stay with you?"

Nathan wasn't entirely sure where that had come from, he didn't normally give a shit what was going on with other people, Brooke least of all. Something about the situation made him care, though, and he knew that there was no way he was going to leave Brooke alone on the bench.

Sitting down next to her, he sat in silence for a moment, not sure what he should say or do. Brooke pulled her legs up onto the bench and hugged them to her as she started to shiver. Noticing, Nathan took his hoodie off and offered it to her. "Are you sure?" Brooke asked, hesitant to take the offered hoodie. "Yeah, I've got another one on," Nathan said, gesturing to his other sweatshirt.

"Thanks," Brooke said softly. "So...what's up?" Nathan asked, trying to figure out how to ask what was wrong without being too nosy. "Nothing much," Brooke said, "You?"

Shaking his head, Nathan decided to let it go for the moment as he said, "I'm alright, my dad's being an asshole and leaving for a few weeks, but other than that, life is ok." Looking at him with sympathy Brooke said, "That sucks about your dad...if you ever need anything or if I can do anything to help let me know, ok?"

Surprised by her offer but grateful nonetheless, Nathan smiled. "Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks. Seriously, though, are you ok? I saw you and that guy on my way up here."

Brooke bit her lip, trying to think of what she could say to him. "Nathan.." she began, "it's a long story."

"I've got time," he said, honestly wanting to know what was going on. "You can tell me anything, I won't tell anyone else or judge you or anything, I promise."

That seemed to be what Brooke needed to hear, and she started to talk. For the next hour, he listened to her explain about her life. He listened as she talked about her dad, about how he would get drunk and leave her for weeks at a time with no notice and sometimes get violent. He listened as she talked about being homeless on occasion, how she met Peyton and Peyton took her in.

By the time she was done there were silent tears running down her face, and Nathan hesitantly wrapped her in his arms to try and comfort her.

He had never seen Brooke like this, alone and scared. He had never known this side of Brooke before, and as he thought about it, he began to feel like a selfish bastard. He had never bother to get to know her, he had always just looked at her as the bitchy cheerleader who partied and slept around. She had hidden everything so incredibly well that he had never even suspected for a minute that she could be hiding something this big from him- from everyone.

"I'm sorry you had to listen to that, I'm sure it didn't make much sense," Brooke said, trying to stop hiccupping and crying.

"What? No, Brooke, it's totally fine. I'm really glad you told me, actually." She gave him a look that said,"BS", but he shook it off.

"Ok, Nate, whatever you say. But I should probably stop boring you and let you get going so that you can make it home before it gets too dark." Nathan hadn't even been thinking about going home, but he now noticed the setting sun and fading light. "Alright, you coming?" he asked, holding out his hand to Brooke. Shaking her head, she said, "Nah, I think I'm going to stay up here for a while longer."

She moved to take his hoodie off but he stilled her arms. "Keep it," he said, "I don't want you freezing to death up here. And promise me that if you ever need anything you'll just come to me, ok? I mean it, Brooke, if you need a place to stay or someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

Brooke's eyes teared up a bit at his words, but she smiled. "Thank you, Nathan, you know the same goes for you."

She stood and impulsively hugged him, trying to convey her thanks in the simple gesture. He held her a minute longer than he needed to, inhaling her sweet scent. When they broke apart, Brooke was smiling.

"Bye," she called as Nathan jogged off down the hill.

* * *

In the following weeks, Nathan began to notice little things that he had never even though to look for before.

He saw how Brooke would occasionally wear long sleeves even when it was burning hot outside, and he saw how sometimes Peyton would stay extra-close to her. Once or twice he saw how Peyton actually physically held Brooke up in the middle of the hallway when her legs gave out.

Since talking with Brooke, Nathan had grown to admire not only her, but also Peyton. Peyton was the one who was always there for her, no matter what. Peyton gave her a place to stay when she needed it, took care of her when she was hurt or sick, and did her best to keep her out of trouble. All of these were things that had escaped his attention before, but now he saw everything and worried about Brooke.

He had grown to rely on her companionship in the past few weeks. She had talked him through asking Haley out, and when it didn't work out she comforted him. He tried to check up on her, too, but she always just brushed him off.

Nathan always made sure to tell her that she could come to him with anything, even when she never did.

* * *

The soft knock on his window woke Nathan from a light and restless sleep. Turning over in bed, he got out and groggily opened the window.

"Nathan, do you think...well...could I maybe..stay here for the night?" Brooke asked. There was a fragility and shakiness in her voice that instantly set alarm bells ringing in his mind, and he said, "Yeah, of course." Reaching to help her in, he was stunned when she flew back from his hand, almost falling back out the window in the process.

"Brooke?" he questioned, his concern growing by the moment. She didn't answer, just came in all the way through the window. Her movements were stiff and slow, and she refused to look up to meet Nathan's eyes. "Brooke," he tried again, more gently. She didn't answer again for a moment, but when she did his breath hitched. _Are those tears I hear?_ He thought in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Nathan, I shouldn't have come, I just didn't know where else to go," Brooke rambled, trying desperately to keep the tears from falling. It didn't work, and Nathan moved to envelope her in a hug. As he moved to hug her, however, he heard a small gasp escape her lips and he drew back, afraid he had hurt her.

"Are you ok?" he asked, feeling like he was repeating the same question over and over without ever really getting an answer. Brooke just stood there, and before she could move or protest Nathan flipped the light on. Brooke looked up at him helplessly, trapped in the sudden light. This time it was Nathan who gasped as he took in Brooke's appearance.

Her face was bruised darkly, and there were welts and bruises running up and down her arms that he was willing to bet extended onto her stomach and back. "What happened?" he asked after a long moment.

"My father..." Brooke began brokenly, before completely breaking down. Nathan caught her as she fell to the floor, trying to be careful and not jar her. Cradling her in his arms, he tenderly held her as she cried, smoothing her hair out of her face and just holding onto her. When she finally slowed, Brooke tried to stand, but her legs gave way.

Catching her once more, Nathan gently picked her up in his arms, amazed at how light and immensely breakable she felt in his arms. Taking her to the bathroom, he cleaned her up as best he could, wincing every time she bit her already bloodied lip to keep from crying out in pain. He wanted to kill her father, but at the moment he knew that Brooke needed him more.

Carefully taking her back to his room, he laid her down on the bed and tucked her under the sheets. Turning the light off, he went and crawled into the bed with her, knowing instinctively that she didn't want to be alone. Nathan wrapped his arms around her, wanting her to feel safe and protected. Brooke tensed at his touch, but he murmured softly in her ear and didn't let go, reassuring her that it was ok, he wasn't going to hurt her.

Slowly he felt her small body relax into his embrace, and he stayed awake until he heard her erratic breathing slow and even out as she succumbed to exhaustion. Allowing himself to finally drift off once more, Nathan pulled her closer to his body, wanting to reassure himself that she was still there.

* * *

The morning light streaming through the window woke him, the events of the previous night coming back to him slowly. His mind suddenly grasped that his arms were wrapped around air, and he jumped out of bed, panicking. "Brooke?" he called, looking around for her.

"I'm in here," came the reply, and he breathed a sigh of relief that she was ok and not gone. He went downstairs and made some breakfast, looking up when he heard Brooke coming down the stairs. She was toweling her hair off and was wrapped in one of the robes that was always kept in the bathroom.

Her face was a bit swollen and mottled with red and blue bruises. She was clearly still a little stiff, though not nearly so much as the previous night, and she was walking with a limp. "Hey," he greeted her softly. "Want breakfast?"

She nodded, grateful that he wasn't pestering her with questions or kicking her out. Watching her as she ate, he decided to just ask her straight out. "Brooke, what happened?" She paused for a split second, but then she looked up to meet his eyes and he could see the tears glistening in her eyes.

"I was home alone," she began haltingly, and Nathan instinctively moved closer to her as though he could protect her from the memories. "My father came home drunk, started throwing things around...I just happened to be in the way. Things... got out of hand. I managed to get out when he got bored and went to grab a beer, and I didn't know where to go. Peyton is out of town and I didn't want to bother Haley or anyone else, but then I remembered what you said, and I don't know..I just ended up here. The rest, as they say, is history."

She finished with an attempt at a smile, but it couldn't disguise the tears falling from her eyes. His heart felt like it was breaking as Nathan enveloped her in a gentle hug, mindful of her injuries. Wanting to make it better but not having a clue as to what could possibly make something of this magnitude better, Nathan opted for simply pulling her closer to him and kissing the top of her head.

"I'm glad you came to me," he said quietly, "I meant what I said. You can stay with me for as long as you need to, and any time you ever need anything I want you to come to me. I'll help, Brooke, I'll keep you safe here." As he said the words, he realized that they were all true. He didn't know where the protectiveness had come from, but he knew that he would do whatever it took to keep Brooke from getting hurt like this again.

Brooke listened to what he was saying, trying to detect any hint that he was lying or just saying things to calm her down, but she thought for a brief moment that he actually meant what he was saying. As he pulled her closer, she was suddenly aware that she felt safe in his arms, and she basked in the feeling, knowing that it couldn't last.

Later that night, as Brooke was sleeping, Nathan sat up and watched her, keeping guard over her. He had barely managed to convince her to stay for another night, and he wanted to make sure that she didn't try to leave in the middle of it. He knew that she hated admitting that she was weak and needed help, and she was too proud to simply agree to live with him for a while.

Brooke gasped suddenly, causing Nathan to start from his thoughts. He watched Brooke closely to see if she was awake or not, and when he saw she was sleeping he stopped paying attention. Deciding to go downstairs to grab a drink, he was opening the fridge when he heard a scream from upstairs.

Sprinting back up to his room, he was greeted by the sight of Brooke thrashing under the covers, sheets twisted tightly around her legs. She was crying, whimpering, flinching over and over again in her sleep, saying, "No, no, please, I'll leave, I'll be good, please, no!" over and over. Rushing to the bed, Nathan shook her, trying to wake her from the nightmare.

"Brooke, it's just a dream, it's ok," he was shouting now, trying to wake her with no success. "Brooke!" he yelled, and she bolted upright, falling out of the bed in the process. Nathan barely caught her as she fell out of the bed, talking to her, just trying to soothe her.

"Brooke, shhh, it's ok, it was just a dream, a nightmare, it wasn't real." She buried her head in his chest, sobbing, and he held her tightly, trying to calm her and prove to her that she was safe.

_Safe now, at least_ he thought with a grimace, because he knew that what she had been dreaming about _had_ been real a mere 24 hours earlier. She held onto him tightly, trying to convince herself that she was safe, that the dream wasn't real.

_God, Brooke, get ahold of yourself_ she thought,_ he's probably getting sick and tired of you right and your "I'm messed up" personality right about now._ With great effort she forced the sobs to stop, but she couldn't bring herself to let go of Nathan.

"I'm sorry, Nathan, I'm not worth this," she whispered, ashamed of everything that was happening. Nathan's heart felt like it was being put through a shredder when she said that, and he wanted to kill the person that had done this to her.

"Brooke, listen to me. This isn't your fault. You're worth everything in the world and more. Look at me, Brooke," he said, gently taking her chin and forcing her to look at him. "It's ok." Looking at him, Brooke saw that he was being honest, that he really wasn't mad at her, that he actually cared.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"C'mere," Nathan said, drawing her closer to him and stroking her hair. They fell asleep like that, Brooke holding onto Nathan as though he would disappear if she let go, and Nathan doing the same with Brooke.

When he woke, he was surprised to find Brooke still in his arms, snuggled up to him, and he couldn't stop the smile that came unbidden to his face when he looked down at her. She stirred and her eyes opened, meeting his. "Hey," he said, "How are you?"

"Better, I think," she replied, not wanting to leave the warmth and strength of his arms. He seemed to sense that, and scooped her up in his arms to carry her downstairs. She squeaked indignantly, determined not to let on how nice it felt.

"Nathan, I'm capable of walking you know!" Her laughing protests fell on deaf ears, and Nathan just smiled. After a light breakfast Brooke sighed.

"I'd better get going," she said. Nathan's smile fell.

"What? No, stay! It's fine, and I would really feel better with you here so I know you're ok." She couldn't help the smile that formed at his words, but she still shook her head. "No, Nathan, I really appreciate everything that you've done, and I don't want to intrude any more than I already have. I mean, come on- you've skipped school for two days now just because of me!"

Trying to come up with a comeback, Nathan retorted lamely, "Well you skipped too!" Her look softened at that, and she replied, "Yeah, but that's a little different. You need to go to school tomorrow, you have basketball practice and everyone is probably missing you."

"But you won't be there." he said, more of a statement than a question. "Nathan..." she trailed off, a look of pain flashing across her face before she buried it.

Instantly feeling bad for making things harder for her, Nathan said, "It's ok. I understand. I just...I'm worried about you, Brooke, I don't want you to get hurt again." He took her hand in his as he said the last part, trying to convey how much he wanted her to be okay.

She squeezed his hand, saying, "I'll be fine, Nate, don't worry about it. Be a gentleman and walk me to the door?" Sighing but knowing he was beaten, Nathan followed her to the door.

"Nathan," she said as she stood in the doorway. "Thank you." She quickly stood on her toes to give him a soft kiss on the cheek before turning and going out the door. Nathan stood there in shock, watching her leave. She didn't look back, but his eyes didn't leave her until she turned the corner and was out of sight.

Lifting his fingers to his cheek, he touched the spot where her lips had been..._They were so soft and full... God, man, get real! It was probably just a small thank-you, she has enough problems without me trying to hit on her too! And since when do I even think about hitting on Brooke Davis anyways?? _ Nathan thought. Closing the door, he went to crash on the couch and watch some sports to try and clear his mind.

Brooke allowed herself to walk more slowly and less evenly as soon as she knew that she was out of sight of Nathan. Although she would never admit it to Nathan, she was still sore and aching all over, and she couldn't stop thinking about kissing him. 

_Geez, since when do I think about hitting on Nathan Scott?_ She wondered, finally deciding to write it off to brain damage or something out of her control. It took her a good hour and a half to limp her way back to her house, and she couldn't help but wonder how in the world she had managed to cross the five miles to Nathan's house in the dark and hurt.

Brooke placed her hand on the doorknob, hoping that nobody would be there, but a small part still hoping that someone would care enough to at least be in the building.

As the door swung open, however, Brooke could see at a glance that nobody had been there since she left. The car was gone, there was booze spilled all over the floors, and shards of glass were still scattered. Trying to tell herself that she wasn't disappointed, Brooke gathered herself and began to clean.

* * *

The following day at school, Nathan couldn't stop thinking about Brooke. _Why am I so damn worried? She said she would be fine, not to worry about her...so why is she all that I can think about?_ Mentally slapping himself, Nathan tried to focus on what the teacher was saying, but without willing himself to, he found himself staring at Brooke's empty seat.

Deciding that he had to do _something _to refocus, he resorted to texting Brooke and hoping that she would respond and allay some of his fears. **How are you?** He typed, hitting send. Within a few moments he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he flipped it open. 

**Fine, thanks for asking. You?** Smiling a little and glad to know that she was ok, he replied **Better now that I know you're ok.**

Nathan kept texting her throughout the day until she finally stopped responding around three. The next day Brooke still wasn't at school and she had stopped returning any texts, and he began to be a bit worried. _Maybe she got hurt again and didn't come to me..or maybe she was just hurt worse than I thought._

Peyton was back, and she couldn't stop glancing at Brooke's empty seat. One of the other girl's noticed, and turned to Peyton, saying, "She hasn't been here since last week. Nobody's seen her, and nobody really knows where she is."

Nathan watched as Peyton turned sheet-white and got a slightly panicked look on her face.

Peyton's mind was racing frantically. _What if she's hurt? What if nobody knows and she's just laying there? Why the hell didn't she call me? _Nathan watched as the emotions and thoughts flitted across her face like wildfire. The bell rang and she fairly leapt for the door but he caught her by the arm. "I need to talk to you Peyton," he said. "Nathan, now's really not the time, I have to go," she started, but he cut her off. "It's about Brooke."

Peyton hesitated, but she decided to give him a chance and hear him out. "Ok, let's go over here where it's a little more private." He followed her, and when she turned again to face him he started talking.

"Peyton, Brooke's dad...he was home and things got out of hand." Her hand rose to her mouth as she imagined all the possible scenarios.

"Peyton, hey, don't freak out, it's ok. She came to me,"- here Payton gasped a little, unable to comprehend why Brooke would go to _him_ of all people- "and she stayed with me for a few nights. Brooke got pretty banged up, Pey, but I think she's going to be ok."

Inhaling deeply and trying to regain some sense of calm, Peyton tried to set her thoughts in order. _Ok, well, she got hurt...but Nathan said she got cleaned up at his place, so that means that she's probably ok. But wait...where is she now?_

When she voiced that thought, he said, "She's back at her place."

The look of horror on Peyton's face let him know right away that he had done something wrong. "You let her go?" Peyton screeched in disbelief. "Well, uh, yeah, I could barely convince her to stay one more night at my place!" Nathan began to get defensive.

"You aren't supposed to _ask_ her, dummy, you're supposed to _tell _her that she's staying with you! She hates going back to her house after something like this, especially alone. You at least took her back there yourself so that you could make sure nobody else was still there, right?"

The look on Nathan's face was all the answer Peyton needed, but she relented a bit as she also saw the look of intense worry and pain.

"I'm sorry, Nathan, I tend to overreact and get a bit protective when it comes to Brooke...You did the best job you could; I'm just glad that she turned to you," Peyton said.

Continuing, she said, "Listen, I'm going to ditch and go check on her, you want to come?" Nathan jumped at the chance to go with her, and they headed for Brooke's house.

* * *

**The end! Of this chapter, at least. So i'm fairly certain that Brooke's dad isn't really abusive? But it made for an interesting idea in my mind and allows for LOTS of talking and interacting with Nathan! Please review!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took so long, life got in the way:P Please review, let me know if you have any suggestions!**

* * *

Peyton had a car, so it only took a few tense minutes to make it to Brooke's house from the school. Hopping out of the car before Peyton had fully stopped, Nathan ran up to the door, knocking loudly. When he didn't get an answer, he tried knocking one last time, but with no luck.

Peyton came up beside him and asked, "Any answer?" When he shook his head no, she opened the door a bit.

"Brooke?" she called, waiting a moment for an answer before opening the door a bit wider and going inside. "Brooke?"

Nathan joined her in calling, but they still didn't receive an answer. They went through the entire house that way, checking each room, but still with no sign of Brooke. Heaving a sigh, a worried-looking Peyton stood at the front door. "I don't know where she could be," she said.

Something clicked in Nathan's mind as she said those words, and he replied, "I might have an idea." Running out the door, he started to head for the lake. A confused Peyton followed him, trying to figure out where he was going. Sprinting the last few meters through the woods, Nathan came over the small hill and saw a small figure sitting on the bench.

"Brooke!" he called, relieved that he had found her. Brooke turned, not expecting anyone to find her at the lake. She was wearing the hoodie that Nathan had given her the last time he found her at the lake, and she looked incredibly tiny inside of it.

"Hey," she called, "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you that you were supposed to go to school?"

Grinning a bit, Nathan said, "Well yeah, but that was before Peyton came back and we couldn't get a hold of you!" Sitting down heavily on the bench, he hugged her. "We really were worried about you," he said into Brooke's hair as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

Peyton came over the crest of the hill and saw them, Nathan hugging her and Brooke leaning on him, and she frowned a bit. She knew that Nathan had taken care of Brooke, and that Brooke trusted him, but she also knew about his reputation as a player who had no problem hurting and using girls. Sighing, she made a mental note to talk to Nathan later. Making her way over to the bench, she said, "Brookie!"

Brooke turned at the bright sound of Peyton's voice, and Peyton saw her face. She flew to Brooke's side, saying, "Oh, Brooke, why didn't you call me?"

Shrugging, Brooke said, "You were out of town, Pey, I wasn't about to drag you back just for this."

Both Peyton and Nathan bristled at that, and Peyton said, "Brooke. Next time something happens I don't care where I am, you call me so I know you're ok! I don't care if I'm in Egypt, you call me!"

Nodding, Brooke was unable to keep the smirk off her face as she said, "Ok, fine, be overprotective."

Peyton just eyed her up and down, unable to see if Brooke was hurt anywhere else.

Brooke noticed and rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Peyton, really." Peyton looked to Nathan for confirmation, and when he nodded, she seemed to accept that Brooke was telling the truth.

"Ok," she said, "What do you say we get out of here and you come to my place?" Brooke smiled. "Great, I'd love to."

Turning to Nathan, Brooke hugged him. "Thank you for coming," she whispered in his ear. He nodded and squeezed her tighter.

"Any time, Brooke, any time."

The next few weeks seemed to pass in a blur. There were countless tests and insane projects all piled one on top of the other, and it made Brooke feel like shooting her teachers. 

_I mean, really, is it so hard to talk to the other teachers and at least try not to schedule all the projects at once?!_ Brooke thought in exasperation. Grunting as she lifted the massive stack of books from her locker she almost tipped over.

Trying to catch her balance, she reached out and felt...something not her locker.

"If you wanted help, all you had to do was ask," Nathan smirked at her. Scowling playfully, Brooke shoved half the books at him in answer and couldn't contain the snicker when he almost dropped them. He would have thrown his hands up in surrender if they hadn't already been full of books, so he decided to settle for just following her outside.

"I don't have to walk far with these, do I? You know, I could pull a muscle or something!" Nathan whined.

Without even turning around, Brooke said, "Only to Peyton's, it isn't that far."

"Not that far? Brooke Davis, I don't know what your definition of 'very far' is, but I personally think that Peyton's house is much to far for walking."

Brooke rolled her eyes at his whining and asked, "You have a better idea, smart one?"

Without hesitation Nathan said, "Come to my place instead."

At that Brooke stopped to see if he was kidding.

"No, really, I haven't gotten to talk to you for a while and it'd be fine if you just spent the night."

Brooke thought it over, weighing the idea in her head. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to intrude and Peyton was kinda expecting me..."

Shrugging, Nathan said, "You can call her, I'm sure she won't mind terribly if I steal you for one night." Grinning, he added, "Plus, it's like two miles closer."

That seemed to be the final straw for Brooke, who gave in with a laugh and agreed. "Nathan Scott, you are impossible."

The introductions to Nathan's mother didn't take long. She seemed pleased to meet Brooke, and nodded approvingly when Nathan told her that Brooke was helping him study.

"I'd love to stay, but Dan is out of town on business and I'm going to visit a friend for the night. I don't know when I'll be back, exactly, but definitely not before tomorrow evening. Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone," she said with a pointed look at Nathan.

He looked sheepishly at his feet. "Who, me?" he asked with a look of mock indignance on his face.

His mother scoffed and just said, "I mean it. Stay out of trouble! It was nice meeting you, Brooke." With that, she was out the door, closing it firmly behind her. As she was getting in the car, she couldn't help but smile and be thankful that Nathan had found a nice girl at last. He had never brought one home before, and she took it as a good sign that Brooke was being invited already. Driving away, she was confident that her son was in good hands.

Inside, Brooke fretted about nothing. "Do you think she liked me?" she asked Nathan worriedly.

"Brooke, stop being such a worry-wart! How could she not love you?" he replied, smiling only a little at her insecurity. He really did want to ask her how things had been lately, he didn't know much about what had been going on in her life. Since that last time up by the lake Peyton had kept Brooke pretty busy, and Brooke didn't have any classes with Nathan at school so they had barely seen each other in the last month.

Passing comments in the halls and at lunch didn't count for much, and he certainly wasn't going to ask her about something as touchy as her home life in the middle of the school. He had a feeling that if he did he would end up in the hospital with some seriously life-threatening injuries. Just because they weren't talking about it, though, he knew that it didn't mean that her life was fine. 

_She had me fooled into thinking her life was perfect just like everyone else for so many years. I don't know how she does it, but one way or another she can convince everyone that she's fine with just a smile. I used to think she had to be one of the luckiest girls on the planet because she had such a great life and everything was so perfect for her...and it turns out I was dead wrong. Unless she talks to me, all I can do is guess at what's been going on, because she is way too good at acting to ever let anything slip through the cracks._

There was a brief awkward silence during which both Brooke and Nathan got lost in their thoughts. Snapping back to attention, Nathan found Brooke looking at him with a strange look on her face. Trying to brush it off, he said, "C'mon, let's go to my room to drop off your things." Nathan decided to let the matter go for the moment and let her get comfortable first.

Brooke insisted on cooking dinner, saying that it was the least she could do to help repay him for letting her stay at his house. He had teased her about having to eat charcoal, but as he came into the kitchen now he realized that it smelled delicious. Brooke was just taking the spaghetti sauce off of the burner as he came up behind her.

"So, since when does Brooke Davis cook?"

Turning to face him, she smiled. "Since always. I taught myself how and it's always been something that I really love. If you would prefer charcoal, though, I'm sure I could manage something." The wicked grin on her face practically dared him to say yes, but he stopped himself as he sniffed the pungent aromas once more.

"No thanks, I'm going to have to pass on the charcoal this time. Everything smells so good!"

Brooke smiled at the compliment. "Awww, are you trying to butter me up?"

Nathan wiggled his eyebrows. "Is it working?"

Brooke just laughed and shook her head at his antics, saying, "Ok, stud, help me set the table."

After dinner, Nathan offered to clean up since Brooke had done all the cooking. "I never knew you were such a gentleman, Nathan!" Brooke exclaimed in mock surprise. "Yeah, yeah," he grumbled back, trying to hide his smile. It took him a while, but once he had finished cleaning he headed up the stairs to his room. Peeking in the door, he saw Brooke sprawled on his bed with a book. Going in, he sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

"So..." he trailed off, unsure how to voice what he wanted to say. She arched an eyebrow at him and put her book down, sitting up so that she was right next to him. "How is...everything," he finally finished lamely.

She smiled, but her eyes were serious when she said, "What do you mean, everything?" Sighing, Nathan realized that there was no way she was going to make this easy for him. She batted her lashes and tried her best to look innocent as Nathan gave up trying to be diplomatic and asked, "How are things with your dad?"

Brooke bit her lip and stayed silent.

"That bad?"

She shook her head. "It's been...a rough few weeks." Noting the angry look on Nathan's face she quickly added, "Nothing too bad, I haven't had to miss any school or anything. It's more just me having to stay with Peyton for weeks on end. I hate doing that to her."

Nathan looked at her and said, "You know she doesn't mind. You can come to either of us any time you need a place to stay."

Brooke just shook her head as she tried to articulate her thoughts. "No, it's different. Like, no matter how many times someone tells you to come to them, you still don't want to. And not just because it looks bad, and weak, and it means that you're helpless. You know that they said you can trust them and that you can stay with them, but what if they didn't _really_ mean it? You don't want to risk having them yank their offer back when you really need it most, you never know if they're saying that just for the sake of saying it, not because they really mean it. It sounds mean to doubt people like that, and I'm not really talking about you and Peyton, but it's just..it's hard to trust people, you know? God, I don't think I'm making any sense with this."

Nathan put his arm around her, pulling her into a hug. "No, you're making sense, and I get what you're saying. Thanks for trusting me," he said, knowing that by telling him this she was pretty much admitting that she was vulnerable. Asking for forgiveness and asking for help were the two things that made someone the most vulnerable, and for Brooke to tell him meant a lot.

"And thanks for listening and not freaking out," Brooke said, wiping away a few tears and smiling at him.

"No problem. Remember, if you've got an issue, I've got a tissue."

The silly phrase made Brooke laugh as she gave him a last hug. "Ok, so, now that we've got that cleared up..."

"Want to watch a movie?" Nathan's question caught her off guard, and she gave him a hard look to make sure that he wasn't kidding. Seeing this, Nathan said, "Seriously, I mean, it's a Friday night, we don't have school, and I don't know about you but partying is kinda low on my list right now."

Nodding in agreement, Brooke said, "Ok, sounds good. But I get to pick the movie, right?" As Nathan started to say no, she pouted and he gave in.

_God, I'm such a sucker for that pout. It's absolutely adorable!_ Nathan thought, smiling ruefully as he agreed to let her pick the movie. _I'm going to regret this_.

Twenty minutes later, he and Brooke were lying on his bed, and he was happily semi-engrossed in the movie. He had been expecting her to pick some sappy chick-flick, but to his immense surprise she had made a beeline for 28 Days Later. The zombie flick was apparently one of her favorites, and when he had commented on her movie choice, she had grinned.

"I've never been one for those crappy love stories. Action all the way! And zombies plus blood plus gore equals the perfect movie."

_This girl is just full of surprises._

So now here he was, on his bed with Brooke Davis, watching a zombie movie. His bed wasn't exactly tiny, but it wasn't really meant for two people either, so Brooke had ended up curling up next to him in order to fit. Her head was on his chest as she watched the movie screen intently, and Nathan couldn't help but revel in the feeling.

She was so warm and soft, and his eyes kept coming back to her lips. Shaking his head to try and clear it of any thoughts he might be having about kissing her, he tried to focus on the movie.

Finally giving up on the movie, he opted for the middle ground between actually kissing her and not doing anything, casually draping an arm over her. Her eyes flicked from the screen to his arm before landing on his face, but they paused for only a moment and then they were back on the screen.

Glad that she hadn't pulled away, Nathan was further rewarded when Brooke burrowed a little closer to him in the blankets.

An hour later, the movie had ended and the tv screen was dark, but Nathan wasn't planning on moving any time soon. Brooke had fallen asleep on his chest, and he was determined not to interrupt her peaceful sleep.

Settling in more comfortably, he wrapped his arms around Brooke as though to protect her from any nightmares she might encounter.

Somehow, even though she was asleep, Brooke seemed to sense that she was afe, and she let out a contented sigh as Nathan's arms came around her.

* * *

**Ok, there it is! Let me know what you think, and if you have any improvements please mention them so i can try to keep them in mind:) **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ok, so I lied about how long it would take for me to post. In penance, I have posted a grand total of 7, 644 words of OTH goodness! I'm not sure if I'm going to continue it any further, please let me know what you think. Perhaps a sister-story is in order?? Or maybe not? Anyways, please review, and I hope you like it!**

* * *

The morning light fell softly on the two sleeping forms. Nathan woke gradually, becoming aware of the fact that it was very bright. _And very early_ he thought with an internal moan as he glanced at the clock next to his bed. As his mind woke up more, he also realized that Brooke was still asleep, wrapped in his arms. Looking at her sleeping form, he fondly brushed a stray hair off her face.

_She looks so incredibly peaceful..._ he thought, _she looks like she doesn't have a care in the world. _Even as he tried to move without disturbing her, Brooke shifted in his arms and her eyes opened.

"Hey," she said, her eyes a little bleary with sleep.

"Hey yourself," he smiled back, "you want breakfast?" The thought seemed appealing, and Brooke nodded enthusiastically_. _"Ok, race you downstairs, loser has to make breakfast," he said. In answer, Brooke jumped off the bed, leaving Nathan to try to sprint after her. "That's so not fair!" he yelled, trying to push his way past her as they barreled through the doorway.

Practically sliding down the stairs, Nathan managed to stop himself from falling over completely and hopped over the railing at the bottom of the stairs, landing a little ahead of Brooke. The final mad dash to the kitchen table ended when Nathan reached it first, with Brooke almost knocking him over as she slid into him. "I win!" Nathan crowed, a huge grin on his face.

"You cheated, so it doesn't count," Brooke replied, trying to glare at him and not break down laughing. "Well you had a head start, so I think we're even," Nathan said, but he inwardly groaned as Brooke broke out her famous pout. He could tell that she was trying not to smile, and the pout was just about the cutest thing he had ever seen. Heaving a mock sigh, he said, "Ok, fine. I guess I can still make breakfast."

Brooke grinned, pleased that she had gotten what she wanted. "Alright, I'm going to go take a shower while you cook, then, but when I come back I expect a fabulous breakfast! I don't like charcoal," she said with a wink, remembering their conversation from the previous night. Nathan smiled and shooed her from the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, Brooke came down the stairs, her damp hair pulled up into a ponytail. Sniffing the air, she perked up at the pleasant aromas drifting around, and began to hope that maybe Nathan could cook after all. She really hadn't been expecting much, so it would be a nice surprise if she didn't have to end up eating cereal. Walking in to the kitchen, she asked, "Do you need help with anything?"

Nathan was standing in front of the stove, so she couldn't see what he was doing, but he said, "Your plate is already on the table." Turning to the table, Brooke's eyes got big before she spun back around with an indignant squeak at the sight of the lone piece of charcoal on her plate.

"Nathan Scott," she began, but he cut her off as he turned and presented her with the most delicious looking plate of waffles she had ever seen.

"I'm sorry, I know it was mean, but I couldn't resist a little payback," he said. "Hopefully you like Belgian waffles!" Brooke nodded, saying, "It's fantastic, Nathan!" With a smirk, Nathan replied, "Yeah, you might not want to get your hopes up too high until you actually taste them."

It only took one bite to convince Brooke that Nathan needed to become a waffle chef. When she voiced that thought, he raised an eyebrow. "Is that even a real job?" he asked.

"Well, if it isn't, it definitely should be, because this is the best thing I've ever tasted!" Brooke replied, mounding more food onto her fork. Once she was done, she helped him clear the plates and clean up the kitchen. The waffles might have tasted delicious, but they were definitely a mess to make.

_Oh well, they were totally worth it_ Brooke thought with a smile. Sighing, she realized that it was time for her to be going. Brooke knew that Nathan didn't really need her hanging around all day, and much as she would have loved to stay she knew it would be good for her to leave for at least a little while.

Nathan helped her get her things back together, although she wasn't able to find her jacket. She had a sneaking suspicion that it might have gotten lost somewhere under Nathan's bed, but she was too lazy to take the time to look for it any more than she already had. At the front door, she stopped, ready to thank Nathan for everything he had done. Standing there in the doorway, however, she found herself feeling suddenly bemused at her feelings as she looked at him.

_No, Brooke, down girl, this is Nathan, for goodness sake. He is your __friend__, nothing more. Your friend with very appealing lips..._ She stood on her toes, not quite sure where this was coming from or what she was doing. Nathan leaned in towards her as well, gently pressing his lips to hers.

_Ohhh, I shouldn't be doing this..._ was the last coherent thought to flash through Brooke's mind before she let herself get lost in the feeling of Nathan's lips on hers. He ran his tongue lightly across her lips, asking permission for entrance, and she gladly opened her mouth to him. When she finally pulled away, gasping for air, she regained some of her senses.

_Oh god, what did I just do?_ She couldn't lose Nathan, he was the only thing that kept her sane half the time. Turning on her heel, she ran out the door, unable to face Nathan. What if he didn't like her like that?

"Brooke!" Nathan called, trying to get her to stop. She pretended that she couldn't hear him and just kept on running until she was out of sight.

_God...what did I just do? What if she hates me now? I mean, her life is complicated enough, without some loser like me trying to force her into a relationship. She deserves way better than a jock like me_ Nathan thought, mentally berating himself. Shutting the door reluctantly, he went up to his room to try and straighten out his thoughts. _I don't even know what I was thinking. It just...happened._

Even in his mind, Nathan knew that it sounded like a pathetic excuse. With a deep sigh, he flopped down on his bed, hoping he hadn't just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him.

* * *

Even when she knew that she was out of sight of Nathan's house, Brooke couldn't seem to stop running. It felt so good, so right, to just move for the sake of moving. She felt like she could keep running and never get tired, but she knew that it would be a good plan to figure out where she wanted to end up so she didn't get stuck outside.

_Peyton's. _The idea popped into her head, and with a smile she knew that it was a good one. She could always count on Peyton to listen to her problems but not try to pry too much. Turning her feet towards her friend's house, she continued jogging. Twenty minutes later, she was still running and feeling invincible, but she was glad nonetheless when she found herself at Peyton's doorstep.

Peyton's precious car was in the driveway, so Brooke knew that she had a good chance of catching Peyton at home in her room. She went in without bothering to knock, immediately going up the stairs. Ever since she could remember, she had been like some sort of permanent fixture at Peyton's house. She even had her own key, although she couldn't remember a time when she had ever needed it.

Reaching Peyton's room, Brooke pushed the door open quietly and saw her friend sitting on her bed. She was a little hunched over, and Brooke couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying. With a second look, Brooke knew that something was definitely wrong, she could see that her friend wasn't laughing but crying.

Going in, she sat down on the bed without a word and pulled Peyton into a hug. Peyton would talk when she was ready, not before, and until then Brooke knew from experience that the best thing for her to do was just comfort her as best she could. Peyton fairly fell onto Brooke's lap when she felt her friend's arms go around her.

She had been surprised to see Brooke come into the room; she had been afraid to call her in case she might be interrupting something or Brooke would be too busy. Despite those insecurities, somehow Brooke seemed to still know that she needed her, and now here she was.

Brooke stroked Peyton's hair, whispering soothing words to her as the tears began to fall. After sobbing quietly for a few minutes Peyton wiped her eyes and sat up. "I'm sorry, it's just..."

When she trailed off, Brooke prompted her gently. "It's just what, honey?"

"It's Lucas." Peyton said with an attempt at a broken smile. Brooke instantly felt her protective nature flair at the mention of Lucas. Peyton had been crazy about him for as long as she could remember, and while Brooke would be one of the first to admit that he was cute, she had disliked him ever since he had gone behind Peyton's back and cheated with some random chick he picked up at a bar. For some reason Brooke couldn't understand, Peyton forgave him and agreed to give him another chance.

"What did he do?" she asked, trying not to jump to conclusions. Peyton looked up at her with watery eyes, and Brooke's worst fears were instantly confirmed.

"Who?" she asked, determined to kick their ass for messing with her friend's boyfriend...after she kicked Lucas to the curb, of course. "I think he said her name was Lindsey..." Peyton whispered.

"Oh Peyton," Brooke said, her heart breaking at the sight of her friend so hurt and destroyed by the careless actions of a stupid boy. "Lucas is a jerk, it's not your fault."

"I know, but maybe if I had been a better girlfriend," Peyton started, only to be cut off by Brooke.

"No. You do not blame yourself for this, P. Sawyer! Do not let Lucas write off _his _issues and _his_ actions to you not being perfect. You were and still are about as close to perfect as it's possible for a person to get."

"But.."

"No. No ifs, ands, or buts about it Peyton. If he isn't able to keep from straying, then he never deserved to be with you in the first place." Tugging Peyton to her feet, Brooke tenderly wiped the tears from her cheeks, whispering in her ear, "It'll be ok, I promise."

Pulling back from Peyton just a little, she grinned and said brightly, "Now come on, we're having a girl's night in with lots of junk food and crappy movies." Peyton couldn't help but smile at Brooke's enthusiasm as she let herself be pulled down to the kitchen. Lucas had broken her heart, but the bubbly brunette in front of her always seemed to know how to put it back together again.

* * *

Brooke blinked a bit as the bright light woke her. She was curled on her side with Peyton's arms around her, and Brooke was snuggled up against her. The events of the previous night came back to her slowly, and she cringed a bit as she remembered just how distraught Peyton had been, and how long it had taken for her to get her asleep and tear-free.

And then, with a slight groan, she remembered how she had woken up screaming to see Peyton shaking her frantically, trying to get her awake. And then she remembered how she had completely disintegrated, and Peyton had comforted her. She could have smacked herself, and she would have if it hadn't meant disturbing Peyton.

_ I'm officially the worst friend ever. I come and am trying to comfort Peyton, and she ends up having to comfort me. How messed up is that?_ Shifting a bit in Peyton's arms so that she could look at her friend, Brooke started a bit when she found herself suddenly staring into Peyton's eyes.

Propping herself up on her elbow, Brooke smiled. "Hey sleepyhead, I didn't know you were awake." Peyton just kept looking at her, ignoring Brooke's attempt at levity. Studying her, Peyton noticed the artfully concealed bags under her eyes, the tenseness of her whole body, and the obvious sleep deprivation.

"Brooke, what happened last night?" she asked softly, not wanting to scare Brooke off.

"Oh, that?" Brooke smiled, hoping she could fool Peyton. From the look on Peyton's face, she needed to try harder. "It was just a bad dream."

"Brooke, you don't wake up cowering and screaming, drenched in sweat, from just a 'bad dream'," Peyton said, guessing that there was a lot more to the 'bad dream' than Brooke was telling her.

"Really, Peyton, it was just a nightmare. I'm a very vivid dreamer, that's all." She scrunched up her face for emphasis, saying, "I have a very very large imagination." Brooke could tell that Peyton didn't completely buy it, but thankfully she let the matter drop with a sigh. "Ok, you get off easy this time, but you come to me if anything is wrong, ok?" Brooke nodded before saying, "Alright, now, the _real _question is, how are _you_ doing?"

Peyton heaved another, bigger, sigh. "Not so great, to be honest. I think I'm still kinda stuck in the whole denial stage." Brooke rubbed Peyton's back sympathetically.

"I know, sweetie, and I know it's hard to believe right now, but you're going to find someone so much more deserving of you than that dirtbag." Peyton laughed a little at Brooke's very accurate description. "C'mon, let's get food, I'm starving!"

After another day of nothing but light-hearted banter with Brooke, Peyton was feeling considerably better, and she didn't want Brooke to leave. She had her own selfish reasons, yes, but more than that she was still worried about her friend. Peyton couldn't get rid of the memory of Brooke's supposed bad dream and the things she had screamed, and she didn't want her going back alone.

"Stay, Brooke? Please?" she tried one last time to convince Brooke to stay.

"You know I would love to, Pey, but I need to get stuff for school and drop stuff off, not to mention get some new clothes."

"Well, I can run you over and you can just grab what you need!" Peyton knew she was being a bit whiny, but she really was concerned about Brooke.

"Awww, thanks, Peyton, but I think I'll be ok. I can call you when I get there if it'll make you feel better." Peyton nodded, knowing that it was all she was going to get. "Alright, but if I don't hear from you within 45 minutes I am coming over!"

As Brooke headed out the door, she waved at Peyton. Her concern was sweet, and Brooke decided that she would die without her friends. Even from inside, Brooke could see Peyton pretend to scoff and look pointedly at her watch. Throwing her arms up in mock surrender, Brooke turned towards the street.

* * *

Half an hour later, she stood in front of her own house. There were no lights on, so she was hoping that meant that nobody was home. It was also a Sunday night, which she hoped would work in her favor. Taking a deep breath, Brooke opened the door.

Peering inside, she didn't see anything, so she cautiously made her way into the living room. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she mentally thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't going to have to deal with anyone tonight. She went into the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, and went down to her room.

Flopping onto the bed, Brooke picked up the book she had left on her night stand. Yes, she knew about her reputation as a party girl, and yes, she was also aware that she was often viewed as being nothing more than an "easy lay" for most of the guys. She was also painfully aware that, based on her reputation, she was supposed to be stupid and a complete ditz.

Looking down at the worn copy of Brave New World, she shook her head at her thoughts. Brooke had always been able to identify with Lenina, one of the characters, and how she was viewed as being nothing more than a piece of meat to be passed around and used by the men. She knew what it was like to be seen as an object to covet and then discard, and she could sympathize with the way that Lenina began to believe that she really was just an object intended for others' pleasure.

At the same time, however, Brooke was determined to never let herself become like Lenina. Through everything that happened and everything that she did, Brooke tried to maintain a sense of self and personal identity. Peyton had once asked her about the book and why she was so obsessed with it, as well as why she tried to defend Lenina when Peyton criticized her attitude.

Trying to explain why she was so drawn to the book, Brooke had fumbled for the right words and description of the connections, and through all the gibberish Peyton had understood.

Brooke knew she wasn't stupid, her closest friends knew she wasn't stupid, and that should be enough. But somehow, it wasn't. She wanted to be able to raise her hand in class, say what she was really thinking instead of giving the teacher a perfectly rehearsed blank look and pretending indifference when the teacher gave her a disappointed but unsurprised glance.

Haley, one of the most intelligent people in the class, had been assigned to tutor Brooke once when she was failing. Haley walked into the tutoring center dreading the two-hour session with someone she assumed was a complete bubble-head slut. Not only that, but Haley knew she was at high risk for getting ripped apart for being the tutor. The moment she sat down, Brooke piped up.

"Tutor Girl."

"What?" Haley asked with a bemused look on her face.

"Tutor Girl. It's what I'm going to call you from now on, because that's what you are!" Brooke responded with a grin. Haley resigned herself to what was beginning to look like a two-hour torture session, but within the next five minutes she was amazed to discover that Brooke knew the material easily as well as she did, maybe even better. Instead of tutoring Brooke on something she clearly already knew, Haley spent the two hours getting to know the resident queen of Tree Hill High.

At the end of the two hours, she turned to Brooke with a grin of her own. "Tigger." This time it was Brooke's turn to look confused.

"Because you bounce," Haley explained with a smile. Brooke had squealed and bounced over to Haley to give her a hug. The two had become good friends, despite their many differences, and Haley had always been there for Brooke. She didn't know about Brooke's home life, but that was ok with Brooke- sometimes it was nice to get away and pretend that everything was normal.

Smiling to herself at the memories, Brooke decided she didn't feel like reading and moved so that she was lying face down on the bed. Closing her eyes, she let her body relax. She didn't know how long she had been asleep when she was jolted awake by the sound of someone moving around. For a moment, she was disoriented, and had the idea that it might be Peyton.

_Shit, Peyton. I didn't call. _

Then she heard the sound of a crash coming from upstairs, followed by a loud exclamation of _"Fuck!"_

_Ok, definitely not Peyton. That means he's home...this is bad, I don't have anywhere to go. Maybe he'll just stay upstairs..._

Her hopes were dashed by the sound of heavy and uneven footsteps coming down the stairs. Forcing her tense body to remain perfectly still, Brooke held her breath as the footsteps drew nearer. No lights had been turned on, which she took as a good sign. Suddenly the footsteps stopped.

"Girl? You down here? I know your scrawny little ass is, I can practically smell your fucking stench. You best get over here right now, so I can teach you a lesson. Maybe then you can straighten up and get your life together."

The raspy and slurred voice paralyzed Brooke with fear. Her cell phone was clenched in her hand, but she didn't think she could do anything with it, plus the light would lead him right to her. Brooke could just barely see a sliver of light at the top of the staircase, and she knew her only chance was to try to get upstairs and outside.

Tensing all her muscles and grasping her phone even tighter, she leapt for the stairs right as the lights flicked on. Her father stood there, blinking in surprise, as Brooke tried to slip past him. He caught her roughly by the wrist as she tried to sprint up the stairs, pulling her back to him forcefully and with an intentional twist so that he neatly snapped her wrist.

Brooke's face went white and the phone dropped from her hand. His leering face looked down at her, and he grabbed for her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Thought you could get away that easy, did you? No, I'm too smart for that."

The stink of vodka and god only knew what on his breath made Brooke want to puke, and she thought she might pass out from the pain in her wrist, but she tried to keep her voice even and steady as she said, "Let me go." He looked at her like she was crazy. "Or what? You're going to make me snap your other wrist? Huh?"

Brooke tried to pull back, and to her surprise he let her go, but the force with which she had pulled sent her flying back into the wall. He took advantage of the opportunity to pull back and then punch her hard in the ribs. Brooke fell to the floor, cradling her wrist and trying to breathe. The dark shape of her father looming over her quickly stooped, pulling her upright only to throw her back and into the night stand.

The glass top shattered, and Brooke was dimly aware of shards going into her back and legs and arms, seeming to amplify the pain everywhere else even as the edges of her vision went black. Then she felt pressure on her back and ribs, and she seemed to distantly recognize that she was being kicked, although she couldn't feel the pain anymore. Her last thought before she totally lost consciousness was of Nathan and Peyton. Their faces flashed before her eyes, and she hoped that they would be ok without her.

* * *

Nathan sat on the bed. For some reason, he hadn't been able to get to sleep. Thoughts of Brooke kept chasing around his brain, and he couldn't seem to quiet his thoughts enough to get them in order. Sighing, he decided to go down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. With any luck then he would be able to go to sleep and try to decide what to say to Brooke the next day at school.

As he stood, his foot caught on something and the next thing he knew he was lying on his back on the floor. Groaning, he flipped onto his side and reached out to the bed to help pull himself back up. Rubbing the back of his head, he looked down to see what his foot had caught on. He couldn't see anything offhand, but when he reached under the bed, he felt something. Pulling his hand back, he shook his head when he saw Brooke's jacket. They had searched high and low for it, and it had been under the bed the whole time. Taking it down the stairs with him, he made a mental note to give it to Brooke the next day as he hung it on the coat rack.

* * *

Peyton stood pacing her room. She had been calling Brooke non-stop for the past hour, and Brooke had yet to pick up once. Brooke's message box was now full of texts and voicemail messages telling her to call Peyton back as soon as she got the message, but there had been no answer. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Peyton tried to calm down.

_She probably just fell asleep or her phone ran down. I'm sure she's fine, I'll see her tomorrow and she'll be perfectly fine._ In her heart, though, Peyton knew that Brooke never ignored calls or texts, especially when she was supposed to call someone. Peyton was debating about whether she should really drive over to Brooke's house- she knew she should, but she really didn't want to go by herself, she was too scared of what she might find.

Her mind lit upon a solution- _Nathan._ Grabbing her phone, she dialed his number. The phone rang twice, and she silently pleaded with him to pick up, and then she heard the answering click on the line. "Hello?"

"Hey, Nathan, it's Peyton," she started. "Umm, hey Peyton, what's up?"

Peyton was suddenly aware of how silly it would sound if she just blurted her fears out, he would probably just laugh at her and hang up. Racking her brains for a way to explain what was going on, she was saved from having to come up with an explanation by Nathan asking, "Is everything ok? Is Brooke alright?"

"That's the problem, Nathan, I don't know if she is. She left my place around two hours ago, and I told her to call me when she got home, but I never heard from her and now she's not answering her phone or any of my texts, and I was going to go check on her, but I don't want to go alone, and..." Peyton stopped as she realized that she was rambling, but Nathan's voice was serious and she could hear the concern in it when he asked, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Peyton sighed with relief that he had somehow gotten what she was trying to say. "Would you? I would really, really appreciate that Nathan."

"Ok, do you want me to come over or can you come get me?" Thinking for only a second, Peyton replied, "It would be faster for me to drive and get you. I'll be there in ten minutes." Hanging up the phone without waiting for an answer, Peyton snatched her keys off the desk and ran down the stairs and out to her car.

On the other end of the line, Nathan heard the dial tone and slowly put the phone in his pocket. He was hoping that maybe Peyton was just over-reacting, but knowing Peyton that was highly unlikely. Worry added lines to his face as he walked outside to wait for Peyton. As an afterthought, he took Brooke's jacket off of the coat hook to take with him.

* * *

Nathan and Peyton opened the door and hurried inside without even knocking. Peyton had explained a little bit more about what was going on to Nathan on the short ride over, and he was now even more worried than Peyton. Peyton ran down the stairs to check Brooke's bedroom, while Nathan looked through the kitchen and living room. A glance assured him that Brooke was nowhere in sight in either room, and he couldn't help the relief that he felt at knowing that Brooke was at least not inside the house.

The piercing scream that echoed up from the basement crushed the feeling before it even had time to sink in. Peyton screamed his name again, and he pounded down the stairs into the basement as fast as he could. Skidding to a stop, his eyes fell on a sobbing Peyton, cradling something in her arms. Turning to Nathan, he realized with shock that she was cradling a person...

_Brooke?_ His mind refused to believe that the broken mess in Peyton's arms could be Brooke.

"Call 911!" Peyton cried, jolting Nathan into action. Pulling out his phone, he dialed as fast as he could, fumbling the keys in his attempt at speed. The operator came onto the line. "_Hello, how may I help you?"_ Nathan was yelling into the phone, trying to convey the urgency of the situation. "I need an ambulance, my girlfriend's been attacked, I don't know if she's breathing, but she's not moving and she's bleeding," Nathan barely heard the operator asking him basic information like if he knew what had happened, where he was, and finally, "_An ambulance will be with you shortly."_

By that point, however, Nathan had dropped his phone and was kneeling next to Peyton, who was talking to Brooke. Nathan sat there, trying to think of something he could do to help. It seemed like an eternity before there were EMTs coming in through the door, and he was calling to them, telling them to hurry, and then they were there with their stretchers, prying Peyton's fingers off of Brooke and taking her away. Nathan ran after them to ride in the ambulance, but the medics pushed him aside and he could only stand there watching as the flashing lights sped off towards the hospital.

From out of nowhere Peyton was standing behind him, hugging him. "She's going to be ok, right?" he asked, trying to hold back his tears. Looking at Peyton, he could see that she was trying every bit as hard as he was not to cry. Not answering his question, she said, "Come on, Nathan, let's go. We can try to catch them at the hospital." Nathan blindly followed her, amazed at her ability to think at all in the situation.

He was vaguely aware of being afraid for his life as Peyton drove at break-neck speeds to the hospital, and he thought that he wouldn't be surprised if they beat the ambulance there. They both ran through the doors of the ER, looking for any indication of where they might be able to find Brooke. A nurse stopped them, saying, "Can I help you with something?"

Peyton briefly explained what had happened, trying to stay calm, and the nurse seemed to sense that both Nathan and Peyton were on the verge of completely breaking down. Motioning that they should follow her, she led them around a series of corridors and hallways that ended in a small waiting room. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait here for more news. They took her into the OR just a few minutes ago, I'll let them know to come get you whenever they have news about her condition."

Thanking the nurse, Peyton drew Nathan over to the row of chairs. They were all alone in the room, and a small corner of Nathan's brain noted the surroundings. It was a plain room, painted a pale lavender, and the chairs were comfortable. There were magazines, and Nathan picked one up purely out of habit, beginning to flip through it absently. The pit in his stomach was making him feel like he wanted to be sick. He couldn't stop thinking about everything he might have done to prevent it from ever getting this far.

Meanwhile, Peyton was doing the same thing, replaying every little detail and event over and over in her mind. One incident in particular stood out in her mind.

She had been sitting in math class, with Brooke standing off to the side of her desk a little bit behind her. She had discovered that she needed something from her bag, so she had just reached over across to get the bag, which was sitting a little in front of Brooke. The next few seconds were a bit of a blur. It hadn't been a fast move, or an aggressive one, but Brooke flinched backwards so fast away from Peyton's hand that she hit another desk and practically flipped over it. The only thing that saved her were good reflexes and Peyton grabbing her arm and pulling her back.

Her entire body had tensed at the contact, and she didn't look up when Peyton let go. Brooke had turned to go back to her desk, ignoring the entire incident as though it had never happened. Peyton had waited for an explanation, and when she didn't get one, she had asked, "What was that?" Brooke had looked down again, refusing to meet Peyton's eyes, and she had answered nonchalantly, "Oh it's nothing."

Peyton had just gaped at her in disbelief, but the bell rang and Brooke dashed away before Peyton could say anything more. _Maybe if I had pushed her just a little bit harder then, maybe if I had chased her down, maybe then she would be fine._

Her thoughts flashed to another time. It had been a similar situation to the first memory, but she had asked, "Why do you flinch so easily?" Brooke's eyes had flicked to Peyton's face as though judging her, and Peyton had thought that she was actually going to answer. The moment passed, however, and Brooke didn't say anything, just shrugged her shoulders.

When Peyton had eventually found out, she could vividly remember the look on Brooke's face, the obvious terror of Peyton abandoning her. Peyton had stayed, hugging Brooke close to her and telling her it was ok, and since that day she had done everything she could to help Brooke, whether it was a place to stay, food, or just someone to talk to. Now, sitting in the waiting room, Peyton felt completely responsible. She had known, and she could have potentially stopped Brooke form being hurt by her father ever again.

Peyton wasn't aware of the tears falling from her eyes until she felt a tentative hand on her arm. She looked up and saw Nathan staring at her with concern. "You ok?" he asked softly. Peyton tried to answer, to reassure him that she was fine, but she couldn't make her voice work. Trying to convey it in a nod, she was surprised when he pulled her into a hug. "It'll be ok, she's going to be fine. Brooke's a fighter, you know that, she's going to make it through this."

Leaning her head on his shoulder for a second, she decided that she could understand why Brooke liked him so much. They stayed like that for almost three hours before they heard footsteps coming down the hallway.

Peyton jumped to her feet when a haggard-looking doctor walked through the door. Nathan stood right beside her, watching the doctor intently for any hint of what he was going to say. After a slight pause, the doctor said, "She's out of surgery. There was extensive damage; the glass shards sliced her up pretty badly but luckily missed all her internal organs. There was a lot of superficial damage as well, and she broke a couple bones. The nastiest break is one in her wrist, but there's some ugly bruising and fracturing of the ribs too. She has yet to regain consciousness, but if you want to you're welcome to go see her. Oh, and just a heads up, the police will need to ask both of you some questions about the matter."

Nathan didn't even register the last sentence, he was already impatiently looking for where he might find Brooke. He had heard what the doctor said, but Nathan wanted to see with his own eyes that she was alive and ok. Peyton tugged on his arm to get his attention as the doctor started to lead them down another corridor. The doctor stopped at a door and motioned them through.

Nathan walked through, not knowing what to expect exactly, but when he saw Brooke he felt like someone had just sucked all the wind out of him while simultaneously hitting him over the head with a baseball bat. He had expected her to look pretty bad, but never in his wildest imaginings could he have imagined the picture in front of him.

Brooke was laying on the bed, countless tubes extending from her and leading to various monitors. Her face was a little bruised, and she had a cast on her left wrist. Her ribs were bandaged, and there were a couple other places where she was bandaged heavily.

Nathan heard Peyton gasp and he caught her by the arm as she started to fall. Steadying her, he let her go when she nodded. She moved slowly towards the bed, taking a seat on the edge. Quiet tears started falling, which soon became sobs that shook her shoulders as she whispered to Brooke.

Feeling like an intruder, Nathan left, ignoring the need to see Brooke and talk to her himself. Shutting the door quietly, he saw a cop standing a ways down the hallway and decided that now would be a good time to give his statement. After the cop had asked all of his questions, he said, "I'm sorry to have to ask this, but do you think your friend might be able to come talk to us now? We need to get as many details as we can so that we can get the guy and make sure this never happens again."

Nathan nodded and went to get Peyton. She was next to the bed, her head laying on Brooke's hand, eyes closed. Going over to her, Nathan gently touched her shoulder. "Hey," he said quietly, "The police want to know if they can get your statement. You up for it?" She looked up at him and then glanced at Brooke, clearly not wanting to leave her. "They want to get all the info so they can nail her father as quickly as possible," he said, and that seemed to spur her into action.

Standing to go, she said, "Take care of her while I'm gone, Nathan," before she left. Nathan moved to the side of the bed. Looking down at Brooke, completely helpless and probably in pain, he couldn't stop the tears he had been trying to hold in since Peyton had found her. He held her hand tightly, trying to convince himself that she was there, but it didn't make him feel any better. A slight movement in his hand startled him, and he looked at Brooke.

Her eyes opened just the tiniest bit, barely enough for him to see her deep brown irises. She blinked twice, as though to see if she could trust her eyes, and when Nathan was still there she asked, "Am I dead?" Nathan really started crying at that, and he squeezed her hand more tightly when he replied, "No, Brooke you're still stuck here on earth with me."

A hint of a smile appeared on her face at that, and she suddenly looked a bit apprehensive. "What is it?" Nathan asked, seeing her expression. "Nothing, just..." She paused for a minute, trying to figure out how to voice her want for him to be close to her, so she could feel him and know that she was still alive, and that he was there with her. Finally, she said, "Would you lay with me?"

Nathan heard the question in her voice, giving him the option of saying no and leaving. In answer, he got onto the bed, crawling up so his face was even with hers. Being careful not to jostle her or disturb any of the tubes, he carefully moved her closer to him until she was pulled flush up against his body. She sighed into his chest, and he could feel her silent tears dampening his shirt.

Nathan rubbed slow circles on her back as she cried until she finally quieted and lay limply in his arms. Her breathing became slow and even, and Nathan assumed she was asleep. Inhaling the scent of her hair, he whispered, "I love you," into her head.

He felt Brooke's body suddenly tense in his arms, and he realized that she wasn't asleep after all. But then, to his relief, he felt her relax into his arms and nestle a little closer into him. If he hadn't been listening, he might have missed it when she breathed out, "I love you too," into his chest. His heart felt like it had wings when she said that, and he pulled back a little. Brooke looked up at him questioningly, but before she could say anything he tipped her head up a little and kissed her. It was quick and over too soon for either one's liking, but those few seconds made Brooke feel like everything was going to be ok.

Nathan was the one to pull back first, and Brooke made a whining sound in the back of her throat when his lips left hers. She might be beat up and in a hospital bed, but that didn't mean she didn't know what she wanted. Nathan smiled at her obvious disappointment and kissed the top of her head. "Rest. There's going to be plenty of time for that later. Right now the important thing is for you to get better."

Sighing in defeat, Brooke moved closer to Nathan again. It took only a few seconds before she was deep in sleep. Nathan laid there, keeping watch over her to make sure she wasn't disturbed by any nightmares.

Brooke woke up an hour or so later to the sound of the door opening. She could feel Nathan's arms still around her protectively, and she snuggled closer to him before looking up towards the door. Her heart stopped when she saw Peyton standing there, puffy-eyed and exhausted. When Peyton saw that Brooke was awake she ran to the bed and then stood there, not sure what to say. Brooke waited for Peyton to say something, but it seemed like she was frozen in place.

Trying to break Peyton's trance, Brooke said, "Hey, how are you?" That seemed to jolt Peyton into action, and she rounded on Brooke.

"How am I? How am _I _?! Brooke, how are _you?_ I thought you were going to die, and leave me here alone, and now you have the nerve to ask me how I am?!" Brooke shrunk back a little, taken aback by the ferocity of Peyton's words, but she didn't back down all the way.

She stared at Peyton, waiting for her to say something else. Instead of saying something, though, Peyton just burst into tears again. Brooke reached out and took her hand, wincing at the movement. Seeing Brooke in pain was even worse for Peyton, who wiped her tears away and said, "I should go, and let you rest." Peyton tried to escape so she could go cry in peace without trying to stop or hide, but Brooke was hearing none of it. She could tell that Peyton was trying to get away, and she wasn't about to let her best friend go mope and probably find some inane way to blame herself for what had happened.

Scooting even closer to Nathan, she patted the remaining space on the bed. _Thank god for large hospital beds. _"Come here, P. Sawyer, you aren't going anywhere." Peyton still looked ready to bolt, so Brooke played her ace. "You wouldn't leave your best friend alone at a time like this, now would you?"

Peyton crumbled and walked over to the bed. Perching on the very edge, she tried not to actually make any contact with Brooke. Sighing in exasperation, Brooke reached out with her good hand and lightly touched Peyton's arm. Peyton froze at the touch, and Brooke realized that she was crying again.

"Oh Pey," she whispered, pulling Peyton down onto the bed with her. Peyton just cried harder and Brooke stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry, Brooke, I shouldn't have snapped at you, but I was just so scared, and I could have stopped him, or saved you, or done _something_ to make it better, and I don't know what I would do if I lost you. You're like my life, Brooke, please, please don't ever leave me, I can't do this without you."

Brooke felt like crying herself now, saying, "Peyton, this wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault, really, it just happened. It is what it is, but it's over now. I'm here, and I promise I'm never going to leave you. But please, don't blame yourself, or think you could have stopped it."

Peyton tried to protest, but was cut off. "No. Not from you, Peyton. I just need you to be happy, ok?" Peyton nodded, and Brooke hugged her. It was uncomfortable for her in the sandwiched position she was in, but she figured that she would survive if it meant being able to be closer to both Nathan and Peyton.

Brooke knew that in the coming days she would have to talk to Haley about everything, and that there was a long road ahead of her as far as recovery and figuring out what she was going to do with her shattered life. For now, though, she was with the two people who really loved her, and she just wanted to revel in the feeling of their warmth and the comfort they provided.

* * *

**To continue or not, that is the question...Reviews are much appreciated!**


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